Scott began performing at 9 in the evening at NRG Park, and it did not take long for the crowd situation to become dangerous. According to the New York Times, Houston police chief Troy Finner visited Travis Scott in his trailer before the show began, to express “concerns about the energy in the crowd.” Fans were packed into what has been described as a cage-like enclosure, with exit points and medical personnel that were not immediately accessible. Early in the day, fans were already breaching security gates to the festival. Here’s what we know so far.Īttendees and live footage depict a scene that was chaotic from the jump. Fingers have been pointed in many directions: at Live Nation, the company behind the event at Scott himself, for continuing to perform despite the violence. The fans are not at fault for wanting to go to a big concert with splashy artists, alongside other eager fans. Scott’s music can lend itself to hordes of young people who want to mosh, a remnant of past punk culture. The dynamics of crowd crush make the situation murkier, but we can consider who is responsible for this, without blind condemnation. The confluence of factors that led to a deadly moment - questions have been raised about planning from event producers, an apparently reckless artist, a lack of trust between security and concertgoers, and an amped-up crowd - defy our desire to neatly place blame on any single party. Crowd surges, too, are by no means specific to this type of concert, but the events at Astroworld raise fears in some about the future of gathering with others when live music has just begun to return.

Footage is still being released, and as online rumors are shared, lawsuits roll in as the timeline of events is determined, confusion and shock still hovers around what took place. The tragedy of Astroworld Festival is not the first of its kind, but feels unusually chaotic, due in part to social media. The deaths have left onlookers with many questions, including who exactly is to blame. During the melee, ambulances arrived on scene, but the artist only briefly stopped the show. The deaths and injuries were the result of thousands of people rushing the stage as Scott performed. At least 50,000 people were in attendance, and according to a report from Rolling Stone, 528 police officers and 755 private security officers were present for the event. Eight people have been confirmed dead in the aftermath of a crowd crush at Astroworld in Houston on November 5, a concert festival headlined and founded by rapper Travis Scott, and more than 300 people were injured at the event.

What happened to astroworld